Google Android iClones iPhone App Store Kill Switch!
Title says it all, and you know what? Good for Google. While the holier-than-geek community criticizes Apple’s admittedly adamantium grip on the iPhone App Store while raving about the “open platform” of Google’s Android, the harsh realities of internet existence — including malicious code and apps — means that no playground can be entirely free of adult supervision, lest it quickly degenerate into Lord of the Flies land. Says Computerworld (via Macrumors):
In the Android Market terms of service, Google expressly says that it might remotely remove an application from user phones. “Google may discover a product that violates the developer distribution agreement … in such an instance, Google retains the right to remotely remove those applications from your device at its sole discretion,” the terms, linked to from the phone, read.
Allowing all sorts of background and music/media Apps that Apple would never allow is a great move for consumers — and for putting competitive pressure on Apple to do likewise. Making sure they have some precautions in place, however, is a responsible move on Google’s part.
October 16th, 2008 at 11:36 am
I do not want anyone removing an app of mine besides myself. Period.
October 16th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
The Kill Switch. Often imitated but never duplicated
October 16th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
and doesn’t apple already have something to this effect? Maybe not the power at the moment, but of course could be introduced with a firmware update. They have got that list of banned apps on their servers, which at this point in time does not have any apps banned.
Samuel
October 17th, 2008 at 11:02 am
I agree. My guess is that this will be a non-issue. That clause is not some sort of orwellian control, but rather to provide security to the networks used by the phones. Could it be that there is so much press about this because there isn’t much else to report about Android right now?